AN: I wrote this waaaaay back when season 1 had wrapped up but lost inspiration for it midway through. It's been collecting dust for give-or-take 3 years. I liked the concept I was going for and decided to try and revise it to where it's somewhat canon compliant As of now, it's no longer canon compliant, but you know what that's okay because canon decided to do some stupid stuff in Miracle Queen.

Anyway enjoy.

Disclaimer: Don't own.

Maybe he didn't notice. Yeah, that's it, she could bluff her way out of this. Play dumb. There's no way he actually saw her—

"Marinette?"

Crap!

Okay, no problem. Relax and be cool, she could still get out of this. So he knows her name, big deal. Chat Noir has been around Marinette before; heck, she managed to convince him she was in love with him once. Of course he'd recognize her and remember her name! Doesn't mean he necessarily saw her de-transform.

"Uhhh, hey!" she says, cringing at how high her voice sounds to her ears, "I was just—uhhh—taking a walk! Yeah, that's right, taking a nice stroll…through the alleyways when I, umm, saw—LADYBUG! Yeah, I saw Ladybug swinging through. And my best friend Alya, well, she runs the Ladyblog—you've heard of it—and so I decided to follow her and see if I could get a picture or something for her. A picture of Ladybug for my friend that is!"

Oh God, oh God, this sounds so bogus! Why does she suck at lying so much? Honestly, how on earth did she manage to keep her identity a secret for this long?!

Judging by Chat's face he doesn't buy her poor excuse either. In fact, he looks bewildered, the left side of his mask rising a bit to indicate he's raising a brow at her. Great, Marinette, way to show your partner how cool and composed you are outside of the mask. He'll definitely continue to take you seriously during fights now.

Marinette gives up, groaning in defeat as she hangs her head, "Yeah, that was lame." Straightening up, she sends him a small smile as she waves shyly at him, "Hi, Kitty. Guess the secret's out now? Hehe."

She refuses to say "the cat's out of the bag." No way, no how!

This must've pulled Chat back to reality from wherever his mind is thanks to Marinette's poor attempt to bluff because his face shifts. His mouth forms into a large grin, and his eyes shine brightly in the dim light of the fading sun. Marinette feels her cheeks warm at the sight of the look on his face. He looks so…happy. Different emotions swirl in those large, cat-like eyes. Not only is there delight, but she sees relief, contentment, amazement, and…admiration maybe?

"Marinette." Chat breathes her name again, the soft and adoring tone of his voice making the girl in front of him blush, "It's you. You're Ladybug."

Marinette rubs the back of her head in embarrassment. Seriously, why does he have to act like this? It's a little odd to her. Make puns? Oh yeah. Flirt some? Of course! But act like he's found the greatest treasure in the world? No. Way.

She can't fathom why he would sound so gosh-darn thrilled to see her of all people revealed as the girl behind Ladybug!

"Y-Yeah, it's me. Um, surprise?"

"I can't believe I never noticed before."

That got Marinette raising her eyebrow, "So… You know me?"

Well, yeah, they have interacted before in the past; but with the way Chat is acting, it makes her think that they've talked outside the superhero duties. And not as Chat and Marinette but as Marinette and…whoever he is outside the mask. She thinks that can't quite be right. She would have recognized someone like her goofy, flirtatious partner as a civilian wouldn't she?

"You're Marinette Dupain-Cheng," Chat starts, voice still filled with awe as he starts to step closer to her. Marinette instinctively steps back. "You're the daughter of Tom Dupain and Sabine Cheng, who own the bakery next to Collége François Dupont."

Well, duh, of course he knows her this way. He knows she's the daughter of bakers. After all, the bakery is pretty well known (and one of the best if she'd say so herself). Other than that time her dad got Akumatized, it's possible Chat had visited a few times and had seen her working or passing by. Yeah, that makes sense.

But he keeps talking.

"You're always late to class," he chuckles fondly, "and now that I know you're my Lady, it makes so much sense why you're late. You can also be really clumsy, but that's okay because you always get right back up. You're also the class president. Always helping people out whenever they need it, and never ask for anything in return. You stand up for those who can't do it themselves. You're the everyday Ladybug!"

He then laughs out loud, "The everyday Ladybug and I never figured it out! Pretty dumb huh?"

Marinette doesn't answer the obviously rhetorical question. She awkwardly shifts a bit, moving back as Chat walks closer to her with each sentence he was musing. Okay, so apparently he doesn't just know her in passing, but seems to actually know her. He must go to school with her, though with the familiarity of his words, just being in a different class doesn't seem accurate. Could it be possible that they are in the same class?

Before Marinette could ponder more on this, she focuses on Chat again because—surprisingly—he's still talking!

"You want to be a fashion designer; Gabriel Agreste is your all-time favorite designer. You carry around your sketchbook wherever you go in case you're hit with inspiration. And when you start sketching, you do this cute thing where you stick your tongue out in concentration. Oh, and then there's the fact that you're really awesome at videogames—UMS III to be exact, though I wouldn't be surprised if you were great at other games too."

Right now he is right in front of Marinette, the girl having nowhere else to go as she backs up against a wall. Chat Noir looks down at her; his piercing gaze sends a shiver down Marinette's spine. Seriously, he needs to stop looking at her like she put the stars in the sky because she's not quite sure what it's doing to her heart rate at the moment.

"You're kind. You're creative. You're passionate. You're beautiful. You're amazing. You're Marinette Dupain-Cheng. My Lady. My Princess. My Miraculous Ladybug."

He then grabs her hands and gives them a squeeze, his face only a couple of inches away from hers. Marinette just stares at him, trying to process everything her partner has just told her.

She should say something. Anything.

"Are you a stalker or something?"

Okay, anything but that!

The question obviously takes Chat Noir off guard because he just gapes at her, green eyes wide and mouth slightly hanging open. Then he does something Marinette didn't expect…

He laughs.

Not a snigger or a chuckle like he would normally do if he told a particularly good pun or was mocking a villain; but an honest-to-God, body shaking laugh.

Marinette honestly cannot recall Chat Noir ever laughing this hard—and with such mirth to it.

It's…nice. He needs to laugh more often.

"Oh man," he wheezes, wiping some stray tears from his eyes, "I haven't laughed that hard in a long time. I think the last time was when we first met. Or, I guess I should say, the first time we met as our civilian selves. Err, wait scratch that, I guess you could say it was our second meeting as civilians? Because the first wasn't very good…at all."

Marinette blinks at him. Honestly, she doesn't like how one-sided this whole reveal thing was going because she is getting a headache from his constant rambling about things she didn't really understand because, well, she has no idea who he is!

"When was this meeting of ours again?"

Chat Noir seems to bring himself back to the situation because he is suddenly smirking at her (ah, yes, there's the Kitty she knows) and leaning into her so she's once again starting into his cat-like eyes.

"It was my first day of public school after years of homeschooling and private tutors. It wasn't exactly going well considering that I had probably ruined my chances of making a good impression on you. I also mucked up roll call, I mean, who does that? Then came Ivan being Akumatized for the second time…"

Marinette listens to him as he reminisces, trying to imagine anyone who has given her a bad first impression. It is rather difficult to say the least, as very few people manage that. It's also hard to imagine Chat Noir as this kid who has never been to a real school before, making bad first impressions and then embarrassing himself with something as simple as roll call.

Actually, this story is sounding awfully familiar…

"All I ever wanted was to be a normal kid like everyone else—to go to school and make friends. I made one, but then there was you, who I'm sure hated me because of a misunderstanding. I honestly didn't know what to do, but the friend I made that day said I should be myself and talk to you."

Marinette gulps, pieces of the puzzle starting to click, "What… What gave me a bad impression of you?"

Chat gives her a gentle smile, "My childhood friend who was also in the class decided to put gum in your seat. Said she was 'teaching you a lesson' or some kind of nonsense. I decided to try and remove it because no matter how much of an attitude someone has toward another, I didn't think putting chewing gum in their seat was the best solution. Unfortunately, you caught me as I was trying to remove it. You thought it was me who had placed it there. The fact I was friends with the girl who really put it there didn't help my case at all."

Marinette gasps, her heart practically stop beating at this point. Thunder rumbles in the distance but she hardly hears it. Chat knows she has figured it out, but continues his tale, Marinette patiently listening.

"It was raining that afternoon. I saw you at the entrance of the school. It didn't look like you had an umbrella with you. I tried to greet you, but you just turned away from me. I didn't want to give up though, so I explained everything to you. About the gum and also my situation with everything being new to me.

"I ended up giving you my umbrella. I thought that I finally did something right and we were friends. That really made me happy." He finishes, giving her a shy smile as he lifts his hand to rub the back of his head in a familiar motion. Marinette's heart speeds up, a smile forming on her face as she breathes out a name.

"Adrien."

"Hey Marinette." Adrien greets, finally giving in and dropping his transformation. The cat suit is replaced with his regular clothes and the cat eyes transform into human ones, though they were still a brilliant green that Marinette has grown to love so much.

Now that he's in front of her with no disguise to give Marinette the illusion that this was just her carefree, jokester of a partner did it finally hit her like a ton of bricks of what is happening.

Chat Noir is Adrien Agreste. Adrien Agreste is Chat Noir.

Her face must show something Adrien isn't expecting because he looks very nervous as he asks uneasily, "Umm, surprise?"

Yes, it is quite the surprise, given all the facts Marinette knows about each boy running through her head at a mile a minute. She has a crush on Adrien, which means she actually has a crush on Chat Noir. The boy who sits in front of her in class is Chat Noir. It's been Adrien who's been flirting with her this whole time. Adrien jumps across rooftops with her and fights Akumas while telling silly puns. Chat Noir is the mild mannered son of her fashion idol who doesn't particularly like to cause conflict.

It shouldn't fit…but somehow it does? Because even if Adrien isn't very outgoing at school, she has witnessed a playful side to him from time to time. And as close as she and Chat have become, she has been privy to his more vulnerable moments—his feelings of insecurity now reminding her of the boy who she now knows is behind the mask.

It's surprising to find out, yet not unbelievable. Despite the oncoming headache of trying to wrap around the past year of her partnership with this boy, she's sure the new information will sink in as time goes on and they can go back to being—

Holy buttered croissants, she has pictures of Chat Noir all over her room!

Double buttered croissants, SHE HAS KISSED ADRIEN AGRESTE!

These two realizations hit her so hard, Marinette feels like keeling over. If it is at all possible to die of mortification, she begs for it to please happen!

"M-Marinette? Please say something. You're worrying me." Adrien says, voice slightly timid as he waits patiently for his Lady to talk to him.

How on earth is she supposed to look this boy in the eyes now!? And here she had thought that she would get better at conversing with him. This makes things ten times worse! He's seen her at both her best and her worst. Could he honestly keep saying he is in love with her?

Oh… Oh no.

ADRIEN AGRESTE IS IN LOVE WITH HER!

"Did… Did I break her?"

Well, maybe he is? Chat Noir loves Ladybug. And if Chat Noir loves Ladybug and Chat Noir is Adrien then that means Adrien loves Ladybug, right?

"Yeah kid, I think you did…"

And Marinette is Ladybug. So if Marinette loves Adrien then that means Marinette loves Chat Noir. And if Adrien loves Ladybug and Marinette is Ladybug then that means Adrien (and by extension Chat Noir) loves Marinette, right?

"Shhh boys, she's processing right now. Give her some time."

Hold on a second…

"Sugarcube, it's been 3 minutes. What could she be processing?"

Is she a part of a LOVE SQUARE?! A love square with TWO PEOPLE?!

WHAT THE HECK, HOW IS THAT EVEN POSSIBLE?! HOW COULD SHE—

"Marinette!"

"WHAT?!"

She doesn't mean to scream that. Her brain is going haywire right now. Her eyes meet Adrien's and she suddenly can't breathe. The weight of reality is too much for her. But she doesn't want to run and hide. How can she when she now knows her best friend and most trusted partner is the boy she's been crazy in love with?

"You've just been standing there staring into space." Adrien says. It hits her that his hair is a little damp and she notices that it has started to rain. When did that happen? "I was getting worried. You haven't said anything since I de-transformed. The silence is killing me, are you happy it's me or not?"

Oh…

Oh yeah, that's right. She hasn't actually verbalized anything has she? It was mostly internally. Well, at least none of those thoughts were said out loud. That would have been embarrassing.

"I'm—I'm sorry." She finally says. "I just never thought… I didn't know… I… It's you!"

Adrien smiles, but it's not the wide mirthful smile he was wearing moments before. It's more hesitant and bashful. "Is being me a good thing?"

The rain picks up and is pelting on her and soaking her to the bone, but Marinette doesn't mind. She doesn't care that she's in a dark, dank alley. Doesn't pay any attention to the fact that her parents were expecting her home any time soon. No, all she cares about is this boy and how precious he is to her.

"It's much more than a good thing." She states, finding her courage to express all the feelings she's kept bottled up inside for him. "You're the boy who gave me his umbrella when I didn't have one. The boy who can be cool and suave, but still so socially awkward in a public setting. You've never had any real friends but you're so kind to everyone around you. You never want anyone to feel isolated like you do at home."

Seeing Adrien's face soften as she talks sets Marinette's blood on fire. She keeps going.

"You're favorite flavor is passion fruit and you have an allergy to feathers. You always smell like Camembert, which now I know why. It must be hard being Plagg's owner."

"It really is." Adrien agrees. They both ignore Plagg's indignant scoff.

"When you get nervous you rub the back of her head with your right hand—honestly Adrien, one day you're going to rub yourself bald if you aren't careful!" she jokingly chides and she loves the chuckle she receives from him. "You tell dorky puns and like to parkour from rooftop to rooftop. You have a more straightforward approach in battle as opposed to my convoluted plans. You're the top of your fencing class, no offense to Kagami. You also play piano and model—but you'd rather spend most of your time hanging out with your friends.

She holds his hands in hers, "You don't think much of yourself, but to me you're so important."

She wonders if Adrien is actually crying or if it's the rain pouring down his face. It doesn't matter, she thinks, because Marinette is sure at this point she's crying.

"You shield me from Akumas and support me no matter what. If it weren't for you I probably would have given up being Ladybug. If I'm amazing then you are spectacular! I love you so much. You're my rock. My Kitty. My Prince. My Adrien."

Before she knows it his lips are on hers and she kisses him back with as much fervor. Thunder claps and Marinette is reminded of that old French saying. They wrap themselves up in each other's arms, moving their mouths in a rhythm only they know of.

It's perfect.

Sooner than Marinette would have liked, they part from each other and disentangle themselves. Adrien keeps a firm grip on her hands as he rests his forehead against hers.

"I'm glad it's you." He whispers just for her to hear.

"I'm glad it's you too." She giggles.

"While this is all nice and romantic and all that icky, gooey crap," the gruff voice of Plagg chimes in suddenly, "you two do know it's pouring the rain, right? You both look like drowned rats!"

"Plagg!" Tikki scolds him, "Must you ruin their moment?"

She gives the two teens an apologetic glance. Plagg, however, rolls his eyes. "I'm just saying, while these two were getting gross with each other, I've been floating out here in the cold, hard rain starving to death! Adrien, let's go home so you can feed me already!"

Tikki groans at her other half while Adrien rolls his eyes. "Good ol' Plagg. Always the charmer…"

While Marinette doesn't appreciate the interruption (she quite likes kissing Adrien thank you very much), the fact that her clothes are clinging to her skin uncomfortably makes her think better of their situation.

"He is right you know, we are getting drenched."

Adrien pouts and Marinette finds it utterly adorable.

"I just found out who my Lady is and now I have to part with her? Not fair!"

She giggles at his theatrics and pokes his nose. "We'll see each other later, you goof! We do have school tomorrow, remember?"

He gives an overdramatic groan, "But that's so many hours from now!"

"Adrien, cheese!"

"Quiet you."

Marinette laughs and gives Adrien a kiss on the cheek, "Tomorrow will be here before you know it. We do have to go though, after all, you don't want your father's secretary and body guard to find out you're gone."

Adrien lets out a sigh of resignation, indicating that he understood all too well the consequences of being caught sneaking out. But then a sly smirk comes across his face and his hand snatches up hers.

"May I at least walk my Lady home?"

Marinette blushes and gives a teasing smile of her own, "Purr-haps."

The megawatt smile Adrien gives her was worth the terrible pun. "You're so perfect. I love you!"

She feels herself turn into a pile of mush. She for sure knows she'll never get tired of hearing him say that.

"I love you too, Kitty."

AN: After I wrote this it hit me that this is a G rated, more serious version of Putain Enfin. Welp…